OP
Stop trying so hard!!!
Relax in the saddle starting at your jaw, neck, shoulders, back and legs, drop your heels and feel like you're melting down in to the horse
You might find it easier if your trainer has you on the lunge and you hold a neck strap that's fairly loose rather than the reins
Don't try to rise until you can feel the horse moving its legs underneath you and get the trainer to call out 'up/down with the horses diagonal movement then try to rise and fall to those commands - but don't force it or you'll get ahead of or behind the action
One of the biggest problems people have with learning to post is that beginner horses tend to be lazy and don't keep a nice steady rhythm and a novice can't manage to keep pushing the horse and learn to post at the same time

The diagonal will come with practice :). Even seasoned riders don't always get it right....I've seen people with many years riding experience who just have a brain freeze and post on the wrong diagonal for a bit until they realize it and change.

The feel of the correct diagonal will come as you practice the post..you will begin to feel the subtle differences in the shift of the horse's body as each diagonal leg pair move forward. I can always pick p the correct diagonal without looking when tracking right (right hand on inside of arena)...even after 30+ years of riding I will still routinely pick up the wrong diagonal at first when going in the opposite direction (If not glancing at the shoulder when I go to start posting).

Let the horse bump you out of the saddle, I tend to over thing posting a lot, and end up posting very high and up and down instead of like a windshield. My trainer told me to relax and let my horse push me out of the saddle and back down. It works great and it allows the horse to do the hard work for you, you shouldn't have to work so hard to get a proper posting trot. If you have trouble remembering when to go up and down, look at the shoulder that is by the wall of the arena, or by the fence of where you are riding, ie, the outside leg. When that leg goes forward you need to be UP, and when the leg moves back, you sit. Try that for a few goes it you are really having trouble but don't rely on that. You need to be looking up between your horses ears and not down at the ground, so try not to turn it into a habit.
And of course PRACTICE, riding is a complex sport and takes a lot of time for everything to fall into place, you'll get it.

That's how you remember ;D It just takes practice, don't worry, you'll get it! You can also cheat every now and then and look down to see if you're going in time with the horse. Eventually you can feel when you're on the wrong diagonal, and won't have to look down to check yourself.

Posting,,,,hmmmmmm, funny is all I can say. I am in the process of teaching my self. I live in the sticks. Trainers? Well, few and far between, the one I do want to use is trying to make space for me and in the meantime im ,,,,,,well lets just say im TRYING. LOL. My horses are saints. One horse is very experienced and I adopted her specificaly for english riding and learning jumping and all that fun stuff. She's a sweet heart and pretty to boot. My other one,,well, lets just say he's a ham and a half,,,love him so much. Not schooled but fun,,,,hes like riding a pumkin, bumpy. SOOoooooooo, I tried the ole english, Wintec 2000 AP saddle the other day. Its a little small for me I tihnk, so ill be looking for a different one but it came with the horse so ill use it for now. I hopped on and walked, and walked,,,,,I itnhk I did ok on the walk lol. Heels down, hands I THINK in the right position and it went well. So, I thought lets try a trot. Or not? I trotted, and I popped, bounced, flounced, flopped and STOPPED. Ok, lets try again, POST Becka POST,,,,jut like you do in a western saddle,,,,,again, flop, tip, bounce, POST omg I did it a couple times,,,,,,,right yourself before you fall off, STOP. Poor horse, he was a saint. My other one, the trained one had a slight limp, stone bruise I tihnk s I took my gelding. I will be back in the Wintec again today,,,to try my luck at posting AGAIN,,,,,,,I really need to NOT laugh as im trying to do this, my horse tinhks im nuts and I almost peed myself last time. Have a great day everyone!

We CAN do this posting thing, it taakes time and patience,,,,,and its a lot of fun.

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